Festival in Kyoto (2)

Changing the subject, I saw a party of people in unfamiliar costumes coming through the Torii Gate of Kamigawa-jinja Shrine to a place I stood while they were playing the ancient Japanese flute, drums, and gongs, when I was searching a proper place for having lunch. When I asked “what’s going on?”, the answer was: “Yasurai Matsuri Ritual event will start here.”

The procession of Yasurai Matsuri consists of “Hanagasa”, a big paper umbrella decorated with flowers, and people including young fellows and children in ancient dresses.
Hahagasa: Ancient Japanese people believed that an evil god spread diseases in spring, the season in which many flowers came out. When you are under the umbrella, you can be protected against evils. The big paper umbrella has scarlet cloth surrounding the circumference of the umbrella and flower baskets made of fresh flowers on the top of the umbrella.
“Kanko” or Tiny Demon: A child who wears a scarlet long-sleeved kimono and a Japanese skirt, puts a Japanese headgear on his head, and hangs a Japanese hourglass drum from his neck.
“Oni” or Demon: A young dancer who wears a white short-sleeved kimono and a scarlet long outer garment over it, and a white Japanese skirt, and puts a red hair wig on his head. They dance while violently beating or ringing drums and gongs.
Musical Band: It consists of singers, Japanese flute players, and musical accompaniment.

The procession stopped at given places or street corners during the parade and they danced in ecstasy while disheveling the red wig and beating the drums and gongs with the accompaniment of the singers and flute players, thereby removing the evils from there. The form of this festival is old, which shows one stage in the transition of the entertainment in our country. After dedicating the dance, they went to the main hall of Kamigamo-jinja Shrine.

2. Taihei Shinji
As another Shinto ritual to pray protection from calamities, I’d like to show Taihei Shinji (Taihei Ritual) held on June 8th every year in Uji City in Kyoto. The origin of this ritual has been said to be an ancient Japanese ritual “Michiae-no-Matsuri.” The matsuri was performed in order to avoid the invasion of evils into a district (a village, a town, or the capital) in the Heian Period, in which people deified three gods who protect the district from the invasion of evils on the roads of the four outskirts of the district by chanting norito (Shinto prayer). In Taihei Shinji, evils are collected by using Taihei and kept them in it, and then the Taihei is thrown into Uji-gawa River.
There is Taihei-den Hall in Agata-jinja Shrine in Uji City. The matsuri procession starts from and returns to this shrine. Taihei Shinji, however, is not a matsuri of Agata-jinja Shrine but the shinji managed by Taihei-za party which consists of people living in 4 towns in the west area of Uji-City.

(Member of Procession)
The most important member forming the festival procession is Taihei. Taihei, having a length of about 6 meters, is formed of plaited white paper streamers (“hei” or “gohei”) and pine branches, and is provided with three yellow umbrellas on which guardian gods are deified. Evils in the towns are collected by using Taihei and kept them in it.
Taihei

Another leading character is “Kiba-jinin” who is a superhuman being riding a horse. Kiba-jinin is in a white Japanese robe and white Japanese skirt and wears a hat with paper streamers hanging from the edge of it so that the face is hided. It has a role to watch the event and performs “Mabase-no-gi” (Mabase ceremony) described below.
Kiba-jinin

In addition Taihei and Kiba-jinin, the procession includes “Sakaki”, which is a Japanese cleyera tree to which a red mask of Sarutahiko is attached, it being an object to which a spirit is drawn; “Furyu-kasa” (big umbrella); and children and adults in a Japanese traditional dress such as “Kamishimo” (formal samurai dress) and “Hitatare” (ancient ceremonial court robe) having “Shaku-boko” (halberd capable of bringing rain) or a ritual tool.

(Route of Procession)
The festival starts with the performance of Shinto rituals such as chanting of norito in front of Taihei-den Hall ①. Then, the procession leaves the shrine and parades on Agata-dori Street toward Uji-bashi Bridge. The Shinto rituals are performed again at the east end of Uji-bashi Bridge ②. After that, the procession proceeds on Ujibashi-dori Street, and Mabase-no-gi Ceremony in which Kiba-jinin runs on 300 meters of a sloop at full speed is performed at the end of the street ⑦. The ceremony is performed for expelling evils. After that, the procession returns to Agata-jinja Shrine. As described above, the procession circles the town to collect the evils and to keep them in Taihei.

(Chanting of Norito at West end of Uji-bashi Bridge) (② in the map）
(Mabase-no-gi) (⑦ in the map)

(Throwing-away of Taihei)
When the procession returns to Agata-jinja Shrine, the Taihei is turned three times in front of Taihei-den Hall, and then it is thrown violently against the ground, by which the three yellow umbrellas are removed. After that, the 12 bearers of the Taihei run 400 meters from the shrine to Uji-bashi Bridge at full speed while dragging the Taihei, and Kiba-jinin chases after it. The Taihei is thrown into Uji-gawa River from the bridge together with the evils kept in it. (Please note that the Taihei thrown into the river is retrieved later.) The Shinto ritual started at 10:00 am and finished at noon. The town was totally purified by the ritual.